Taking puppy outside

[kranendijk]

We got our 9 weeks old boxer puppy (charlie) a few days ago and he's a great little guy and we are very happy with him. We are trying to get him toilet trained by taking him outside after sleeps, meals etc. We live in an apartment but have a park right outside our door and that's where we take the puppy, always to the same spot. Now I have read that you should not take a puppy to public places until he's fully vaccinated because there is a chance of getting certain diseases but opinions seem to vary on this as some say it's important for young puppies to be outside so they can become more socialized. Would it be better for us to toilet train him on the balcony until he's fully vaccinated or is it ok to take him outside? I would like to hear other people's experiences and thought about this as I am a little confused after reading so many different things.

 

[vasha]

I also live in an apartment. I potty trained Kaiser by taking him out in the grass. I didnt want him to learn that it was okay to use the balcony as a potty area.

vasha

 

[Tulsa-Dan]

I too potty trained Maggie when we lived in an apartment in NYC. Yes, I took her out every few MINUTES it seemed for a while. Yes, continue to potty train outside.

Just keep the pup away from other dogs' excrement until your pup has had its full vaccination schedule.

 

[kranendijk]

Thanks for the advice. We continued taking him outside and he's starting to get the idea about where to do his business. One thing is sure, he doesn't like rain at all which is promising as we live in brussels where it rains pretty much 8 months out of 12.

 

[Brookelynn]

kranendijk - So glad to hear that you have opted to train your puppy outside, and to also hear favorable responses from other members. My husband and I are picking up our puppy tomorrow (he will be 9 weeks) and have been debating this question as well. Living in New YorkCity, our vet suggests that we not train the puppy outside until he has reached 16 weeks, but am nervous that he will also not be socialized correctly if we keep him under lock & key for that long. Plus, I do not want him getting used to the idea of going in the house...even if it is on paper.

 

[kranendijk]

Brookelynn,

Potty training Charlie worked out really well and we're happy that we decided to keep taking him outside. He's almost completely potty trainend, and even overnight he doesn't have an accident. At the same time he is also getting used to the city noise, feels very comfortable being outside, is not afraid of other dogs and is getting quite socialized. Last week we took him for a walk through the forest and he had the time of his life.
Our vet didn't think it was a problem taking the puppy outside as long as we didn't let Charlie get close to other dogs' stool and were also careful with stray dogs etc. So far it has worked out very well. Have fun tomorrow picking up the little one and good luck with the decision. Feel free to ask if you want to know more about our experience.